| Read Time: 2 minutes
Truck Accidents

If you’ve ever found yourself stopped in a traffic jam while trying to get off an interstate exit ramp here in Waco or elsewhere in Texas, then there’s a chance that it was caused by an overturned truck. These types of incidents may leave traffic lanes closed for hours as crews try to figure out how to get a truck upright or as they clean up lost loads. Motorists may be seriously injured in these types of incidents.

The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine commissioned a study into the causes of large truck rollover crashes just over a decade ago. The National Institutes of Health published their findings in 2008.

Researchers found that trucks tend to respond poorly to curves in the road. They determined that the centrifugal force, or their natural inclination of a truck, is to lean in the opposite direction of a curve. Road conditions, the acuteness of the turn, speed and handling can all adversely impact a trucker’s ability to maintain their truck upright when navigating curves. Similar incidents also occur due to driver error, especially while navigating inclines.

Truckers who carry loads that exceed the recommended weight limit or ones that are improperly distributed also run the risk of rolling over. Those truck drivers who make lateral accelerations or who fail to properly maintain their suspension or braking systems and tires are more prone to these types of crashes as well.

The researchers found that truckers are particularly vulnerable to having rollover crashes when they fail to adjust their driving habits to accommodate for their truck and trailer’s elevated center of gravity.

It’s a trucker’s responsibility to perform regular maintenance on their truck to make sure that it’s in a roadworthy condition. They’re often so eager to get a job done that they don’t take time to do things the way that they’re supposed to be done though. If you’ve been injured by a tractor-trailer that has rolled over, then a truck accidents attorney may advise you of your right to sue for compensation for any injuries that you received as a result.

Author Photo

Michael Zimmerman

Michael was born in Houston, Texas. His education at Baylor and Texas State Universities earned him a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. His major was in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. He finished his legal education at Texas Southern University in 1990, earning a Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990.

Rate this Post

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading...